Polynesian Music

POLYNESIAN music

THE HULA

A dance form accompanied by chant (oli) or song (mele)

- Hula is taught in schools/groups called halau

• Teacher = kuma hula

- Lei: garland/wreath

• Worn as headpiece,

necklace, bracelet, anklet

or any other accessory

- Importance of the hula

- Many legends of it's origin

- Developed in the Hawaiian islands by the Polynesian settlers

- Two sub-styles of hula

• Hula 'Auana
• Hula Kahiko

- Two main positions

• Sitting (noho dance)
• Standing (luna dance)

Hula 'Auana

Hula Kahiko

Costumes

Typically use portable, acoustic stringed instruments

- Ukulele

- Guitar

- Steel guitar

- Bass

"TRADITIONAL HULA"

- Hula composed prior to 1894

- Does not include modern instrumentation

- Variety of moods (solemn-sacred-frivolous)

- Created to praise the chiefs

- Religious performance to honor Hawaiian goddes or god

- Hulas include: Ala'apapa, ha'a, 'olapa, and more

- Modern hula arose from the adaptation of "traditional hula" ideas to Western influences

- Influenced by Christian morality and melodic harmony

- Tells or comments on a story

• Stories include events since 1800s

- Music is heavily Western-influenced

- Hawaiian history was oral history

- Codified genealogies and chants (memorized and passed down)

- No written language

- Told stories of creation, mythology, royalty, and other significant events and people

Females: the everyday pa'u: wrapped skirt, but topless

Males: the everyday malo - loincloth

- Decorations like neckaces, bracelets, and anklets

- Performances for: daily amusement, family feasts, entertainement for chiefs, visiting chiefs

- Costumes play a role in illustrating the hula instructer's interpretation of the mele

• Color of attire
• Type of adornment worn

Each piece symbolizes a piece of the mele auana.

• Color of a place
• Color of a flower

Women: skirts or dresses

Men: long or short pants, skirts, or malo

Slow dance: formal clotheing

Fast dance: revealing, festive attire

- Performance:

• Males begin and females join later.

• Begins with an opening dance (ho'i) and end with a closing dance (ka'i)

Hawaiian Music (cont.)

Popularization and

Modern Music

Festivals

-Merrie Monarch Hula Festival

- Big Island Slack Key Guitar Festival

- Steel Guitar Association Festival

- Gabby Pahinui/Atta Isaacs Slack Key Festival

- ALOHA WEEK

- Moloka'i Music Festival

- International Jazz Festival

- Pacific Rim Jazz Festival

- Manoa Jazz & Heritage Festival

- In the Early 20th century Hawaiians began touring the U.S. in smal bands

- The Broadway Show, Bird of Paradise, introduced Hawaiian music to many Americans in 1912

- One year later, Hawaiian music sold more recordings than any other style in the country

- The increasing popularization of Hawaiian music, influenced blues and country musicians

• Present in modern country music

Music Institutions and Industry

- Number of rock, pop, hip hop, Dubstep, soul, and reggae performers

- Hawaiian popular music is largely based on American popular music

- Honolulu Symphony Orchestra

• Oldest orchestra in U.S. west of Rocky Mountains
• Founded in 1900

- Hawaii Opera Theater

- O'ahu Choral Society

• Sponsors the Honolulu Symphony Chorus and Honolulu Chamber Choir

Lets Hula!

- Clubs in Waikiki and Honolulu play outside the various "Hawaiian" genres

- Hawaii has it's own regional music industry with several distinctive styles of recorded popular music

- Guitar and Lute Workshop

• Early manufacturer and proponent of slack-key guitas

- Kamaka Ukulele

• Key manufacturer of ukuleles for Hawaiian musical acts

History of Polynesian Music

POLYNESIA - Greek word that means "many islands"

Includes Hawaii, New Zealand, Easter Island, and other territories

- Polynesian music and dance originated from from Captain James Cook and his companions on his exploration voyages in 1768-80.

- Other influences by East Asia

Christian Influence

- American and European missionaries migrated to Polynesia in the 1790s

- They brought along a distinct type of music called hymns

- The Christian influence resulting in merging of Polynesian polyphonic singing with Church singing

• Very important in modern day Polynesian music

Hawaiian Music

- Result of the acculturation that began in the early 19th centry

- Enhanced by the introduction of Christian hymns

- Music ranges from folk music to modern rock and hip hop

- Music is largely religious in nature and includes chanting and dance music

Bibliography

• Chanting: vocal music that is chanted using simple to elaborate melodies

- Limited number of tone levels (3rd or 4th apart)

- Numerous tone repetitions

• Dance music: music that accompanies dancing.

Hula:

Aural Skills:

Instruments

DRUMS

- Played by hand or use of sticks

UKULELE

- Local version of Portuguese bragha

- Imported to Hawaii in 1879

STEEL GUITAR

- Metal-stringed adaptation of a European instrument that is played by stopping the strings with a metal bar

LAVA PEBBLES

- Used as castanets

Gourds

- Used as a drum

- Used with drums

BAMBOO NOSE FLUTE

- "hano"

- Hole a nose area for breath

- Two to four fingering holes

Ear training or aural skills is a skill by which musicians learn to identify, solely by hearing, pitches, intervals, melody, chords, rhythms, and other basic elements of music.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_of_Hawaii#Modern_music

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/849275/Oceanic-music-and-dance/14342/The-Society-Islands

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hula

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/facts-about-polynesian-music.html

http://musiced.about.com/od/historyofmusic/p/polynesian.htm

Hawaiian dance accompanied by chant or song

- Preserves and perpetuates the stories, traditions and culture of Hawaii

- No written language until 1800s

- Hula is taught with aural skills. It is an aural/oral history.